Toxic Beryllium and Genetic Testing.In the article "Toxic Beryllium beryllium (bərĭl`ēəm) [from beryl ], metallic chemical element; symbol Be; at. no. 4; at. wt. 9.01218; m.p. about 1,278°C;; b.p. 2,970°C; (estimated); sp. gr. 1.85 at 20°C;; valence +2. : New Solutions for a Chronic Problem" [Environ Health Perspect 109:A74-A79 (2001)], Scott Fields presented a balanced view of the many opinions on beryllium. However, Fields erroneously stated that Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) (previously known at various times as Site Y, Los Alamos Laboratory, and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory) is a United States Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National "has started a genetic testing Genetic Testing Definition A genetic test examines the genetic information contained inside a person's cells, called DNA, to determine if that person has or will develop a certain disease or could pass a disease to his or her offspring. program." This is incorrect. Although Los Alamos Los Alamos (lôs ăl`əmōs', lŏs), uninc. town (1990 pop. 11,455), seat of Los Alamos co., N central N.Mex. It is on a long mesa extending from the Jemez Mts. The U.S. for the past 4 years has done some genetic analysis of beryllium workers who have volunteered for a research study, the laboratory is just now considering how it might implement a voluntary genetic testing program that would provide private information to beryllium workers about their genetic risk. Such a program, if implemented, would first undergo rigorous ethical review. Jim Danneskiold Public Affairs Office Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico E-mail: slinger@lanl.gov |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion